C H A P. 3.. We muff not lean to any Righteou foes within us. 453 ne thing , to have fome little part of the honour to itfel f: And as to the honour of a good Aaion , if it be but 999. parts , that it ofcribeth to God , & taketh one part of a thoufand to ourfelves , it is a dangerous arrogation: We muff have none. And it might be thought , that fuch as evér underflood the Gofpel , confidered the particular exprefïions, ufed in Scripture, to abate man, yea & the whole Contrivance of the Gofpel Salvation , through a Crucified Cautioner , and that fuck as ever underftood & were acquanted with the Natural Pride, de- ceit , & Treacherie of their own heart; and had any experience in the de- vices of Satan ,!in & about wakened conféiences, to keep them from an hear- ty doling with & willing accepting of, and cleanly refting upon the way of Salvation , revealed in the Gofpel , should be far from condemning this Paying, & from making exceptions againfl it. But indeed,'the groeinds, that' Papifi`s , .Socinians & Arminians lay idown, as the Bafis of their anti - evangelick Fabrick , & Contrivance of the way of Salvation , are more fa- vourable to Self, and are therefore the more cordially embraced by many, & more ftifRy maintained. Mr. Baxter feetneth to fay here , that thefe are different things, to fay , That no part of ourR,ighteoúfnefsisinourfelves, and that no part of our Righteoufne's, 4y which we areluiifeed, is in orfelves , whe- re with the Orthodox , thete are but different expreflions of the fame thing ; for when they deny a Righteoufnefs within ourfelves , it is not a denying of begun Holinefs & SanCtification; but a denying of a Rigbteoufnefs as the ground of juflification , for all this they acknowledge to be wholly & only in Christ, the Lord our kighteoufnefs. And to adjoine to this, the Quefiiot; about the honour ofa good Action , as whether that should be wholly afcri bed to God , or one parr of a Thoufand may not be afcribed to ourfelves ; is neither very favourie in itfelf, nor pertinent to the clearing of the other. But what anfwereth Mr. Baxter ? This ( faith he) well explained maybe made found: But thus grofly delivered , it is but a popular cheat, under the taking Pretence of felf abatement d7 giving Chrift all. Anf. I should readily feare, that Mr. Baxter's explication should be fo far from making the exprefíîons founder than they are., that it should rather prove a Commentary corrup- ting the text, feing I finde him thus diffatisfied with expreffions fo confonant to the fl:raine of the Gofpel , to the holy genius of all favingly illuminated, and to the very language of the Saints , in Scripture. But as to his Con - lure, calling this no lets than a popular cheat , it is sharpe , and, more befitting, in my judgment, .a Papili, or a NonChriftian Socinian, than Mr. Baxter. Yet let us hear the ground of this fo sharp & fo unfeemly cenfure. The De- vil ( faith he) is as willing as any one , that you should have nothing honourable or praifeworthie in you ; d1' be as vile , as he can make you. Anf. If it would not be difpleafing , I would fay , that this anfwere is a plaine cheat : for the que- flion is not, whether we should have any thing in us, truely honourable & praife worthie, or whether we should be as vile , as the devil would make us; No proteftant ever fpoke fo ; But the queftion is. 'jti'hether for any thing in us truely honourable & praife worthie , we should Sacrifice to our 'Own net, Bs bane ínKenle to our own drag; or give the glory unto God, Kkk z who
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=